One year in…

Claire joined us at the Shark Education Centre in May 2016 as the new facilities manager. Before coming to us she worked in financial administration for a big insurance company, specialising in long-term investment and insurance, so her day-to-day working life has changed dramatically! We sat down to have a chat about what her first year with us has been like.

Words by Eleanor Yeld Hutchings and Claire-Frances Metcalf

Cover image

Photo by Grant Atkinson | Fresh Air Crew

What are your favourite things about your new role?

There are so many! But I would say that it’s the interesting things that pop up on a daily basis. I think it was during my first week at the Shark Education Centre that I got to put on a wetsuit and rearrange aquarium rocks and anemones in the big fish tank. It was freezing! But fun. We really get to be hands-on during our work here, which is definitely one of my favourite things about working at the Shark Education Centre.

What are some of the (best) things you’ve learnt?

I’ve learnt a lot about sharks and rays, both from the staff here and from interacting with the public and our exhibits and displays. The biggest, the smallest, the fastest, the weirdest, the most common, the rarest, the oldest… There are so many things to learn and so many species of sharks. But most importantly, I’ve learnt how these animals form part of a much bigger picture in the marine ecosystem and that without them we would most likely see a collapse in the healthy functioning of the sea, which is of global importance. I have also learnt so many interesting things about marine life and conservation. I feel like I’m constantly discovering new things – the latest was just a few days ago when I found out about the existence of limpet flatworms. Another thing that I’ve had to learn is that there are more than 101 things that can and will go wrong with an aquarium – and how to go about trouble-shooting them!

Was there anything about this job that really surprised you?

The amount of resources, time and energy that it takes to run a non-profit is astounding! And also, all the work that goes on in the background to arrange what seems like a straightforward school outing. When you see a group of excited schoolchildren being shown around the centre or happily exploring the rock pools of the Dalebrook Marine Sanctuary, what you don’t realise is that weeks of planning, paperwork, permissions and coordinated effort on the part of the centre’s education team, the school and the parents have gone into making this happen.

People tend to be fascinated by sharks, although they don’t always know much about them, but they often have entirely the wrong impression of them as scary, dangerous, people-eating machines! One of the best things that we do here is to teach people more about sharks and also about how important they are in regulating the ocean ecosystems of planet earth. In general, people are so unaware of conservation, or how their daily actions affect the natural world, that it is vitally important to teach them how they can contribute to conservation simply by acting responsibly. I think the education team really tries to convey that ultimately it’s the responsibility of humans to ensure the healthy functioning of the marine ecosystem through environmentally responsible actions. I’m impressed by how much effort and time goes into making sure that the school groups and visitors are given the most positive experience the education team can provide. This is especially important given how little connection many of the children who visit have to the ocean to start with – even though they live in a coastal city! I’m really proud to be part of something that is teaching and inspiring children to be young conservationists, and that is giving them information they can use to pass on to their families and communities.

How do you see yourself developing in this role?

I am really excited about the opportunity to work with a marine conservation organisation and I’m looking forward to working with the centre for a long time. Now that most of the major internal exhibit renovations are done, I would like to focus on ensuring that the most streamlined systems are in place so that the facility is being used to its maximum capacity.

The education team has also encouraged me to assist with school outings, holiday clubs and the Marine Explorers surf and snorkel experiences. I really enjoy being able to engage with the kids and am hoping to continue to be involved with this in the future.

What are some of the challenges that you’ve experienced during your time here?

Part of my job as the facilities administrator is to make sure that the building and its facilities are all functioning well. This can be particularly difficult when faced with external challenges such as the extreme drought that Cape Town is currently undergoing. It’s the worst drought in the Western Cape for more than 100 years. As an environmental organisation – and as citizens of Cape Town – we need to adapt to the water scarcity and the latest water restrictions (less than 80 litres per person per day). This means no use of potable water for the garden or for washing the building or windows; it means monitoring the ablution facilities, checking for leaks and reducing the toilet wastage; it means catching rain water to use for washing wetsuits; it means all sorts of things that we need to stay on top of! As an education centre, it is imperative that we educate our visitors about the importance of water and of the critical need to conserve it, and it is very important that we lead by example. However, as a public facing facility we also need to ensure that we remain presentable and that we are able to cater for all our visitors. This can be a tricky balancing act!

An ongoing challenge is making sure that the facility remains safe and secure for the visits of schoolchildren and the public (and the legalities surrounding that, which can be a huge amount of work). But it is all so worth it in the end, when you see those beaming faces just bursting with excitement!

Photo by Grant Atkinson | Fresh Air Crew

Project

SOSF Shark Education Centre

Ideally situated at the edge of False Bay in Cape Town, South Africa, the Save Our Seas Shark Education Centre overlooks the ocean and is right on the doorstep of the incredible Dalebrook Marine Protected Area. This unique location enables us to immerse children in experientially focused educational activities.

The SOSF Shark Education Centre is an attraction not to be missed. It boasts a carefully selected collection of state-of-the-art exhibits that ensures that children and adults are able to learn through play and exploration, with each of their different senses engaged. This facilitates a truly immersive and stimulating educational experience while they are having fun.

The Shark Education Centre focuses mostly on sharks, from their diversity and anatomy to their habitats and their role in the ocean. However, there is also a strong emphasis on the unique and special marine ecosystem found in and around False Bay – and sharks are used as a key to unlock more general marine knowledge.

Groups of schoolchildren come through the centre and leave feeling inspired to care about sharks and their ocean habitats. But the centre does not only cater for visiting schools; there are outreach events, holiday clubs, marine awareness camps, marine explorers clubs and many other activities.

The Shark Education Centre also invites the general public to explore its displays. Ultimately, our goal is to ensure that our marine education and conservation messages are spread far and wide.